The present invention relates to an exhaust system for venting smoke and fumes away from an indoor grill unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exhaust system which draws the fumes and cooking gases downwardly away from the cooking surface before the fumes and cooking gases have been released to the atmosphere surrounding the cooking surface.
Conventional exhaust systems for venting cooking gases and fumes away from indoor grill units have generally been of the type which draw the fumes and cooking gases laterally over the top of the grill surface and then downwardly into a plenum chamber. In these exhaust systems, the cooking gases and fumes are permitted to rise upwardly away from the grill surface a specified distance and then are drawn basically horizontally away from the grill surface and then downwardly into the plenum chamber.
An example of such an exhaust system for an indoor grill unit is disclosed in Cerola U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,375. Cerola '375 discloses a grill unit and an adjacent plenum chamber. A fan mounted in the plenum chamber draws cooking gases and fumes from above the grill surface into the plenum chamber to be discharged to the outside atmosphere. That air can be drawn laterally through side openings located in the grill element structure to provide cooling for the grill element is also disclosed. However, as in other conventional exhaust systems, the cooking fumes and gases generated by cooking on the grill surface are permitted to rise upwardly away from the grill surface before they are drawn laterally toward the plenum chamber. By permitting the cooking gases and fumes, as well as the grease, to rise upwardly away from the grill surface, a certain amount of the grease and fumes will inevitably settle onto the surface surrounding the grill unit. This is generally undesirable because of the necessity of cleaning the surrounding surfaces after the grill unit has been utilized.
Down draft exhaust systems for venting cooking gases and fumes have been proposed to solve the problems left unresolved by conventional horizontal exhaust systems. An example of such a system is that described in Berger U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,301. The Berger exhaust system further has a drawer in which is provided an exhaust diverter with a central opening having a cover thereover. The cover is slanted and extends well beyond the opening. This configuration separates solid drippings from the gases and fumes. The drawer containing the exhaust opening and its cover may be cleaned by sliding the drawer into its exposed position from the cooking unit. Cleaning of this type of exhaust system is not entirely efficient since the cover and opening are not designed for removal for soaking, placing in a dishwasher and the like. Further, it is unknown to provide a unitary diverter and filter assembly designed for efficient removal and replacement.